Artwork by David Rivera
Please post by Thursday this week. You only have to post once due to the shortness of the week.
Which one of the vignettes from pages 58-End of The House on Mango Street made the strongest impression on you? In a post of at least 150 words, identify the vignette and discuss its theme or central idea, explaining why it resonated for you. Please make every effort to respond to a vignette that has not already been discussed by another member of the group.
22 thoughts on “Week 5”
In the second to last vignette, “A House of My Own” (108), Esperanza writes about how her own house would be like. She describes the house not as a flat, not as an apartment in back, not as an inheritance from her father, or a house owned by the person she’s married to. In her house she can have things as she likes them to be and the house would be a space for her to cultivate her passion in writing.
In the beginning Esperanza tells us that she longs for a real house that is not too small and too crowded, not like the house she lives in Mango Street. This short vignette is her vision of the house she wants to live in and the life she wants as an adult and probably reflects Cisneros’ vision too. Through the vignettes, she tells us many sides of her own live, her family, and those who live in Mango Street. Many of the women depicted in the vignettes seem to be in the unfavorable positions, such as her grandmother who sits by the window her whole life, her mother who regrets that she quitted her study when she was young, her mother’s two friends – a widow and a divorcee – with reference to tragic Madame Butterfly, Minerva who is beaten by her husband who always comes and goes as he likes, Rafaela who is locked at home, etc. These women likely inspire Esperanza to be independent so that she won’t be in the same position. Having a house of her own symbolizes independency, economic security, and freedom.
I think everybody has her/his own version of Mango Street in mind, the compilation of the sides of lives we witness as we grow up and somehow shape our thoughts, visions, and expectations of the live we want for our own. I read a little bit of Cisnero’ background and it looks like she makes her vision comes true. It must feel great to be able to realize our own vision.
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I’m glad to be part of this ENG 201 class and meet you all here. I’d like to thank Prof. Conway for the writing and literature knowledge you share through the semester. I enjoy Oedipus Rex, Araby, Salvation, the poetries, and the video lectures you assigned us to watch. I’d also like to thank everybody in the class for the interesting comments and thoughts in the postings. Enjoy the rest of summer, good luck for the next semester, and stay safe!
Ella, among all the thoughtful comments made here about “A House of My Own,” I’m most struck by your observation that “everybody has his/her own version of Mango Street in mind.” I think many people also have their own version of a house of their own, which is reflective of their values and interests. Thanks for the lovely farewell message. We’ve had a good hardcore group in these discussions for which I am very grateful. I share you hope that everyone can relax for at least a couple of weeks as August draws to a close.
For this week’s activity I chose “Minerva writes poems” (84) from “The House on Mango Street”. This vignette is about a sad woman named Minerva who is trapped by a man and her young children. Minerva is a little older than Esperanza and is already burdened with “two kids and a husband who left”. Minerva and Esperanza both like poems and share each other’s poems. Minerva leads a difficult life, her husband throws a rock through her window, implying that she has no way to escape. Minerva’s husband is both physically and emotionally abusive towards her. She writes poetry to alleviate her anguished heart, as her husband comes and goes. Minerva visits Esperanza after being beaten and asks her “What can she do”? Esperanza cannot offer any advice, and answers “There is nothing I can do.” Even if Esperanza offered her any advice or help, Minerva is the only person who has the power to get out of the situation. This vignette represents a precise representation of the cycle of abuse in which many women find themselves.
I really enjoyed Eng.201 it was a pleasure to be in this class with you all. I enjoyed the readings they were very interesting especially “The House on Mango Street”. Thank you, Professor Conway, for all your help and feedback. Good luck everyone.
Roselyn, your observation at the end of the post is very wise. As you write, Minerva is the only one who can change her own life. Unfortunately, she is unequipped to do so, as Esperanza can see, because the cycle is so ingrained. Thanks for nice goodbye message. I thank you for your generous participation in these discussions and wish you well in the rest of your academic career. Enjoy the rest of the summer!!
“Four Skinny Trees”, to me, is one of the most rhythmic and poetic of the vignettes in Cisneros’ collection, and also makes quite a powerful statement about Esperanza’s feelings about her life. She, like the trees, keeps on. Despite her circumstances, she is strong and perseveres in a place where she feels…well…out of place. “Four who grew despite concrete.” Through her symbolic poetry, Cisneros compares Esperanza to the strong-rooted skinny trees that have unmeasured “secret” strength. Esperanza may be rooted against her choice on Mango street, but she will make use of the time, will become stronger, and won’t “forget to reach.” She will eventually leave this place, but she will also no doubt take some of Mango Street with her after she is gone.
“Keep, keep, keep, trees say when I sleep. They teach.” I absolutely love that.
And I also love the opportunities I was given in this class to read such rich and moving classic literature, after many semesters of science study. It was a breath of fresh air! I will take these stories with me on my travels, and I’m that much fuller because of these readings. Thank you Professor Conway for your wonderful instruction and feedback, and thank you to the class for your unique insights into the weeks’ lessons. All the best!
Marc, you have such a refined appreciation of language, which comes across in many of your comments, and especially here in this discussion of “Four Skinny Trees.” I’m a person who loves trees. I think of them as beings—not in a flaky way—but as entities with their own physical and suggestive identity. The other day after that wild wind storm, I brought home a bunch of broken branches from Central Park. Most of them didn’t last long, but I loved having them for a little while. In this vignette we can see how Esperanza can relate to the trees and how they inspire her to endure and grow. Thanks for the nice goodbye. It’s been great having you in the class and especially in these good discussions. Enjoy the rest of the summer!
For this week’s activity, the vignette that made one of the strongest impression on me from “The House on Mango Street” was “A House Of My Own” The true meaning of what a house should be is expressed in the words as
we see Esperanza yearns largely for the independence the freedom in which the house is “not a man’s house” and “not a daddy’s.” It is, in other words, free from the controlling and abusive power of patriarchy society that we have seen repeatedly throughout the book where women are expected to know a seeming established place or responsible, and any change from that is unacceptable in the Latin culture, and we see these established traditional values follow immigrants in every location, because this was not back Mexico, we see the importance and the influence religion have on our social upbringing, And in this house there is “nobody to shake a stick at” and “nobody’s garbage to pick up after.” It is a house where Esperanza can care for herself where she can finally cultivate her own identity be subjected to the expected normal, it is the coming of age where the chains of traditions are broken and the creation of a future where she have control over her own destiny. The vignette’s closing image is important to mention as Esperanza likens the house to a clean piece of paper, pointing us toward the final vignette and her identity as a writer, a story-teller, a crafter of her own narration. Love it
Thanks Professor Conway for this very interactive online course which made learning fun, for all my classmate that commented and offer advice thanks very much for your help calling Shericka and Marc thanks very my, all the very best all.
Conroy, the lines you select from “A House of My Own” are interesting and offer a particular perspective on what having her own house means to Esperanza. She doesn’t want “a daddy’s house,” nor “a man’s house.” And you’re so right that we see in so many of the vignettes the kind of woman’s life she does not want to have for herself. I love how she knows this at such a young age and holds on to that dream for herself. I share your appreciation for the “regulars” in the discussion and I also appreciate the pioneers—the ones willing and ready to submit a first post. Thank you for good and thoughtful comments. Enjoy the rest of the summer!
Hello everyone and goodbye! It was nice time to be with you in this fast course. There are so many great minds out there. Thank you professor Conway. You course is great organized and had so many interesting link and videos. I have learnt a lot, even we didn’t have much time together!
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For this week I choose the chapter Sire. This is a beautiful narrator monolog about the punk-looking guy next door. He scares her, but she had never let him know that. He had a girlfriend, probably a teenager, who was turning into a grown woman. She was thinking about the guy and imaging how he would kiss his girlfriend: “Sire. How did you hold her? Was it? Like this? And when you kissed her? Like this?”
I find this chapter very intimate, with the narrator filled with unconscious feelings and her desire to know love. We all been there, having a desire to something forbidden: “He is a punk, Papa says, and Mama says not to talk to him”.
Also, the narrator talks about Sire’s girlfriend smell several times: “Smells like baby’s skin”. She admires her and want to look like her.
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Have a beautiful fall semester everyone! And good luck!
Lizaveta, I agree that “Sire” is a very powerful vignette, full of a sense of forbidden mystery and desire. It is the fascination for the “bad boy,” which many girls experience until they know better (and some never know better). The vignette is full of shadowy, even creepy, imagery like “the dusty cat fur of his eyes.” And she sees his girlfriend as a pink perfection that she suddenly wants to be herself. It’s a very affecting evocation of early sexual fascination and longing. Thank you for the good words about the course. You are one of the mainstays of this discussion board, always jumping in early, always responding thoughtfully and fully. I hope you can enjoy a few weeks of relaxation as the summer comes close to its end. Sad!
The vignette that stood out to me was “Red Clowns”. Here we see where Esperanza is blaming her friend Sally after she was left at the Carnival and was sexually assaulted. She said bitterly “Sally, you lied, you lied. He wouldn’t let me go. He said I love you, I love you, Spanish girl.” As we walk down Mango Street, we see where the theme women’s unfulfilled responsibilities to each other emerges. This vignette resonates with me primarily because like on Mango Street women faces isolation which grants them very little power just like women in many other cultures. Esperanza feels women have a responsibility to protect and make life easier for each other. While I understand that Esperanza is mad at Sally for not returning after she goes off with an older boy, it’s quite normal to expects female friends to protect each other. We are living in a world where men are consistently violent, exploitative to women, it’s time for women to come together and be the change that we want to see.
Its been an absolute pleasure to work and share ideas with all of you! I will take the lessons I’ve learnt to propel my steps as I move forward in my education/career. Thank you, Professor Conway, for your incisive comments and speedy responses. Be safe out there, and all the best to everyone.
The vignette that captivates me the most is “A smart cookie”. when I started to read it, I realized how we always think about this “ I could’ve been something better if I wanted it” in the story Experanza portrays her mother as a failure and regrets being born as a low class in the society. It was a difficult decision that her mom took because of her ignorance and selfishness. we often see how her thoughts about being poor reflects the way Experanza also sees and feels the same things in the society. I like how this vignette conveys this emphasis on independence, what it means to be an adult, to find success, and never be an ashamed of your family and social class. We did not choose our parents; they were chosen for us in a way so we can grow with wisdom and learn from their mistakes. I agree with the idea that women should not be dependent of the men because at some points in life might change their minds and everything could go all wrong. I also liked how Experanza’s mother emphasize education and that in life everything happens for a reason but sometimes you just must find meaning to it. She was a good mother because she persisted on her daughter to improve her life. the most important thing about being a parent is that motivation that always rises our enthusiasm to make good choices in life and to become a better version of ourselves.
Hi guys, I just wanted to share my thoughts about this course. I am sure it was a very challenging and marvelous experience. I learn about a lot about poetry and I really enjoyed reading the short stories. I like how every story and poems closely relates to every single one of us. I thankful to meet all of you. I thank Professor Conway for always been there for us and for the supports and feedbacks that really inspired us to do better every day. I wish you all the best, follow your dreams and never give up.
Santiago, I’m very struck by your observation that Esperanza has a good mother. It’s clear that she has regrets and feels a sense of missed opportunity despite her many talents, her appreciation of opera, and her intelligence. How sad that she dropped out of school not because she wasn’t smart but because she was ashamed of her clothes. Yet you are so right that she works hard to make sure Esperanza becomes independent and never suffers from shame or disappointment in herself. She is aware of how many dependent women have been left, just like the poor Madame Butterfly in the heartbreaking opera. Thanks for your good farewell words. I hope you can relax a little for the rest of the summer!
The vignette that made the strongest impression to me was “Alicia & I Talking on Edna’s Steps” (106). The central idea was mostly Human vs. Environment. Esperanza is venting to her friend about her sadness on “not having” a home because she does not feel at home. Alicia takes it on a more physical aspect and says “You live right here 4006 Mango” and Esperanza responds by saying it wasn’t her home. This made a strong impression on me because it was very much relatable. Esperanza is not happy in her own home nor does it feel like home. This means she is not in the comfort of feeling safety and love. They say home is where the heart is and I feel like this can relate to this vignette. Esperanza says “And the thought of the mayor going to mango street made me laugh out loud.” This line stood out to me because we can picture what type of neighborhood she resides in just by this one line. In addition, the vignette made a strong impression because it was such a short story but the words were so loud and clear. Esperanza said so little but her words were so loud. The emotions and words were heartfelt and clear.
Professor Conway, thank you for your effort into making this class well organized and for your feedback. Thank you for sharing many works of literature…I enjoyed each and every single one of them. I also learned new techniques to improve my writing skills just by reading them. To my class, I loved reading through our discussions and hearing everyone’s perspective on things. I wish you all the best in your careers and I hope you are all staying safe and healthy. Have a great summer everyone, it’s been a pleasure!
Beaubelle, I love what you write here: “Esperanza said so little, but her words were so loud.” I think that’s a wonderful way of expressing how clear the themes of these vignettes are to a reader. This has so much to do with her skill as a writer—that ability to select the most vivid details to create an impression. These can be the tinest things like the dainty pinkness of a toenail or the strange color of a bad boy’s eyes. As you say, we can all become better writers by observing what good writers do. In this case, I think we can appreciate the power of simple but precise language, the decision to find exactly the right word or image to create an impression and convey meaning. I love when I hear that a student has found her own path through the materials presented in class and has taken something from the readings that will stay forever. Please enjoy the rest of the summer and thank you for your generous presence in every one of these discussions.
“The Three Sisters” from “The House on Mango Street” by Sandra Cisneros that made the biggest impression on me. This Vignette was so rich with meaning. The sisters psychic premonitions, the foreshadowing of the yellow bird that flew threw the window the week of the death of a baby, knees hurting before the rain, speaks of intuition. The sisters connection to the moon and “porcelain” fingers make me wonder if these sisters were witches.
Another prominent them is death. This story brought back so many memories for me, regarding the baby’s death. In the small town in Ohio where I grew up, there was a cemetery with the coffin of a baby above ground in a glass case. I remember my heart would sink every time we drove past the cemetery because I could see that grave from the road. My heart would ache as I would imagine what the parents of this child must have felt. It seems wrong to put such a tiny precious being underground, but not burying the child also seemed strange to me.
At the end of the vignette, the sister prophesied to Esperanza that she will go far from here, but she must come back and not forget who she is. I had a similar experience when I was 18 years old. An older wiser woman who I met only once, and never saw again after that, spoke very powerful words to me which changed my life. I didn’t quite understand what she meant at the time, but I knew she believed in me and she “saw” me, my destiny, and potential. She told me “I don’t think I can help you here, you need to go to New York.” Her words struck my core as truth, and I never forgot them. Her words gave me the courage to leave my small hometown and pursue my dreams in the big city, even though my parents were against me leaving. Only years later did I know what she meant, and have always been grateful for her intuitive encouragement.
Thank you everyone for our time together in this class! It was lovely to read all of your work!
I appreciate you telling your story. It is definitely not the easiest thing leaving your family and friends behind, but sometimes you have to look towards the future and how you can better yourself. If you stay complacent all your life, what have you even accomplished? In order to progress, you must change and keep going.
Most people would say that the living conditions Esperanza had to experience were not very favorable. Not only did her family move a lot, but they kept adding people to the group, and the house wasn’t getting much bigger. The mother and father trying their best with what they could afford struggled to go somewhere that was suitable to live in. When you get to “mango says goodbye sometimes” the reader will understand what has happened from the beginning to now. Esperanza was discontent with her living conditions. None of the places were clean. Some weren’t even safe. But once she moved to Mango Street, you could tell that her negative emotions subsided and she begins to feel content. As someone who didn’t even want to exist, she overcame her discontent and writes about her experiences. Esperanza’s goal is to escape from Mango Street but not without helping the others that are trapped there by leaving something for others who wish to escape. One of Esperanza’s biggest weaknesses is her inability to figure out who she is. Alicia helps her by giving her a sense of who she is. Instead of Escaping like Sally did, she needs to work with what she has and come to terms with it. Once she figures that out, she can truly be herself.
“Four Skinny Trees” is my favorite vignettes. This vignette has a strong appeal to readers. When I was reading this vignette, I felt that I had also entered the world which described in vignette. I deeply feel the situation Esperanza has to face. When she faced difficulties, how did she overcome her immediate predicament? Her strong willpower and unremitting spirit are worthy of our study. She is in order to realize her dream. Purpose and unremitting efforts, this spirit is admirable. When I finished reading this vignette, I was very moved how happy my life is now. At the same time thinking about what I would do if I faced the situation experienced by Esperanza.
Thank you very much to professor for introducing me to many meaningful articles in the past few weeks of study, which made me feel the joy of reading. Although I have completed this English course now, I will still keep reading every day in my daily life ,and let reading be my habit .
Deyli Moran
The vignette that made a strong impression on me was “Mango Says Goodbye Sometimes”(117). This vignette is about how Esperanza likes telling stories but also she goes in depth how she will tell a story of how she does not belong where she is. She names different places that she has lived in but she mostly remembers more of Mango Street and although it may not be the best place it will always be a part of her but once she gets out of there she will come back to save the others who were not able to do so. The theme of it is it’s hard to let go of something that has always been part of your life but also have memories attached but at some point it’s better to move on to have a better future.
This vignette resonated with me because when i’m thinking i tend to tell stories maybe not actual stories but ideas of what to plan or just in general begin to wonder as well as there was a house I lived in when I was younger and a lot of memories happened which was hard to leave behind when moving on but it was for the best and although it may be different than what Esperanza experienced it falls in between the lines of it.
Thank you professor Conway for this semester for teaching me various techniques and reading different stories and being able to comprehend them and think out of the box. Everyone, good luck on your fall semester.
Hello Deyli,
I like your post a lot I didn’t read the little passage but I got a lot from reading your response on Esperanza, you talk about how she remembers Mango street, maybe that was the most important experience she had from living there from the other places she lived. In her other short stories, she seems to always have something bad to say about it or a memory she has about it. Thank you for sharing your response it was nice reading it.
One of the vignettes from ” The House on Mango Street” made the strongest impression on me was “My name”, This reminds me of my own name because her name has meaning and she believes that her name is bad luck, well my name doesn’t have a meaning at all so sometimes my name isn’t that special because it doesn’t have a meaning to it. The main idea to “My name” is that she talks about the history of the meaning of her name when explaining her name is discovered a harsh outlook, she states the meaning of her name with “sadness” and describes has a “muddy color” she believes her name is the worst name she could have possibly gotten because of the meaning. “She was a horsewoman too, born like me in the Chinese year of the horse which is supposed to be bad luck if your born female” From her learning all of this she believes there is nothing good that can come from her name and she’s just bad luck charm just like her grandmother. she very much criticizes the name just like her grandmother she was named after.